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Comrade Mike Ikeogwu during NUJ visit to late Okwuolise family.

Delta State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists has commiserated with the widow of the late Austin Okwuolise who until his death was a Senior Public Relations Officer in the Office of the Deputy Governor.

The Chairman of the Council, Comrade Mike Ikeogwu who led his executives and some members including the leadership of the State Information Chapel on the condolence visit to the Asaba Residence of Austin Okwuolise, described the departed colleague as a very big loss to the NUJ Family.

”The wealth of experience he has just taken away will be missed by NUJ and the Delta State Government that he served until his death.
 
He is a senior PRO with the Deputy Governor’s Office; he has created a vacuum there; I don’t know whoever is going to step in whether he will be able to fit into it,” Ikeogwu pointed out.
                                    
The Delta NUJ Chairman stated further, ”If God had wanted him to live beyond the time he spent in life, he would have been alive today.
 
He left because his time had come. It’s not the time you die that matters but your relationship with God and what you achieved within that period you lived. I learnt that Austin Okwuolise was a very dedicated Christian, and a pastor.
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So he should be resting in the bosom of the Lord. If it was something that God didn’t permit, the prayers that people made would have saved him.”

”We have just come to show our commitment to the family, and to let you know that we’ll be part of the burial. So, get us informed as the burial programme unfolds so that we mobilize our members to attend on the day he will be laid to rest. So accept our sincere condolence on behalf of the entire members of the NUJ, Delta State Council, Comrade Ikeogwu added.

The wife of the deceased thanked the NUJ team for the condolence visit.
The NUJ Executives and some members of the State Information Chapel also paid a similar visit to the wife of the late Ezekiel Godday Aghantin Owah at Owa, near Agbor who until his death was the Public Relations Officer in the Delta State Ministry of Water Resources Development.

Comrade Mike Ikeogwu said the NUJ received the news of the death of Mr Owah Godday with a rude shock because he died at his prime (very early) without fulfilling greater part of his life.

According to the NUJ Delta Council Chairman, the death of Owah still remains mystery to NUJ. Though, they told me when they were going to the hospital but I never knew it was so serious until he personally called me to say ‘you people should not forget me here. We don’t have to question God for Owah’s death.
 
We’re here to commiserate with the family, and to let you know that NUJ Delta Council is with you in this time of grief, Comrade Ikeogwu said.

He admonished the deceased wife to be courageous, strong, focused and prayerful, saying that no amount of tears will bring back her husband.

While giving an assurance that NUJ Delta State Council would be part of the burial, Comrade Ikeogwu implored th family to intimate the Council with the burial date when it’s fixed.

Responding on behalf of wife of the deceased, her uncle Dr Philip Ebeyeghora thanked NUJ Delta Council for rallying round the family at the death of Owah, and even when he was hospitalized.

According to him, the death is surprising. Nobody knew what happened. Even the doctors that carried out the operation on him were surprised that he died after a successful surgery.

He said the remains of Ezekiel Godday Aghantin Owah would be laid to rest Friday 9th February this year.

Highpoint of the condolence visit was a prayer session led by NAWOJ Delta Chairperson, Mrs Pat Gbemudu.